12.28.2005

Leelo just had a really fantastic conceptual breakthrough. I've never seen or heard him do anything like it before! Witness:

Leelo: "mumble mumble mumble animal..."

Seymour (going with it): "That's right, Leelo. A dog is an animal. A cat is an animal. A pig is an animal..."

Leelo: "A cow is an animal! A duck is an animal! A fish is an animal! A frog is an animal! An owl is an animal! A tiger is an animal!"

Seymour, in total shock, almost faints.

That is a fairly fantastic demonstration of comprehension and extrapolation for our boy.

This is so great coming on the heels of a therapist-free day in which I spent seeming hours trying to help Leo recognize that the counter has its own name, which is not "floor" (it still hasn't stuck); in which I realized that, even though no stranger has ever said anything to me, his behavior has deteriorated to the point now where no one is ever going to mistake him for a typical kid (constant verbal, oral, and or fidget stims, with occasional just plain odd behavioral outbursts, and...um...occasional please-god-let-it-be-a-passing-phase doglike leg humping); in which I continued working with him on saying/shaking his head for no, and saying/nodding yes, only to realize that while Leelo was having occasional success (he bobs his head like an obsequious Cockney), Mali was imitating me perfectly. Sigh.